uni.news - Tag [fo]

Scientists have for the first time used adult human stem cells to
“cure” Parkinson’s disease in rats. The finding might someday also lead
to therapy prompting a full recovery in human patients for what is
considered one of the most severe neurodegenerative diseases, and one
that presently has no cure.[Weiterlesen]

Bielefeld University partners with the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden

How can a sequence of dance steps best be learned? This question was the
subject of a project led by researchers from Bielefeld University and
the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, who developed the study
along with dancers and dance instructors. Together they researched
whether dancers learn a dance sequence better by seeing or by listening,
that is, if a dance instructor first demonstrates the sequence, or if
he or she first gives a spoken explanation. The research article
detailing the results of this study was recently awarded “Best Paper” at
the October 2014 conference of the German Society for Cognitive
Science.[Weiterlesen]

Bielefeld University responsible for German part of the European Social Survey

How
far do politicians pay attention to what people in Europe actually
think? That is just one of the topics covered by the longitudinal
European Social Survey (ESS). It will be studying the social and
political views of more than 50,000 people in both Germany and roughly
30 other European countries. For the first time, Bielefeld University
will be responsible for the sub-study assessing people’s attitudes in
Germany. It will be starting this month. The ESS is considered to be one
of the largest social-scientific surveys in Europe.[Weiterlesen]

Conference at Bielefeld University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF)

Religion
and religious freedom are not just a current and pressing topic in
countries such as Egypt that are presently drafting new constitutions.
When both drawing up and interpreting constitutions, experts also look
at those of other countries and the experiences gained there.
‘Constitutional migration’ is the name given to the process by which
ideas and concepts from one constitution transfer to another
constitution. How this proceeds with reference to relations between the
state and religion and particularly with reference to religious freedom
is the topic of a conference to be held at Bielefeld’s Center for
Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) from 11 to 13. September.[Weiterlesen]

Genetic analysis of Antarctic fur seals, alongside decades of
in-depth monitoring,* has provided unique insights into the effect of
climate change on a population of top-predators. Published in Nature
this week, the findings show that the seals have significantly altered
in accordance with changes in food availability that are associated with
climate conditions. Despite a shift in the population towards ‘fitter’
individuals, this fitness is not passing down through generations,
leaving the population in decline.[Weiterlesen]

Biologists at Bielefeld University publish study in ‘Nature Communications’

Thanks
to a fungus, the medicinal plant ribwort plantain gains a higher
concentration of the defensive compound catalpol. Biologists at
Bielefeld University report this discovery in a study to be published
this Thursday (22.5.2014) in the scientific journal ‘Nature
Communications’. The increase in catalpol gives the plant better
protection against pests. In the study, the research team worked with
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These are known to colonize the roots of
land plants. The plants benefit from this, because the fungus provides
them with nutrients and minerals. However, are the impacts of this
marriage of convenience with the fungus on plant chemistry equal for all
plants? That is what the researchers wanted to find out.[Weiterlesen]

Bielefeld University calls on academics to publish their research data

Whether
the coalition agreement of the three ruling political parties, the CDU,
CSU, and SPD, the German Research Foundation (DFG), or the European
Commission with its new billion Euro research and innovation programmes
– the calls for better access to scientific data are prominent. But
what do these political demands mean for research at universities? How
can data be made available for further analyses beyond the borders of
the laboratory? And where can research data to be found online?
Bielefeld University is the first higher education institution on
Germany to pass a resolution by the Rektorat calling on its academics to
make research data easier to find and as accessible as possible to
further analysis. And the decisive aspect here is that the coordination
centre for research data [Kontaktstelle Forschungsdaten] at Bielefeld
University library is delivering an immediate response to this by
providing new digital advisory and publication services.[Weiterlesen]

Great success for Bielefeld University’s team with its microbial fuel cell

Many
months of laboratory work, numerous challenges, and, finally, good
reason to celebrate: Ten students from Bielefeld University have been
taking part in this year’s International Genetically Engineered Machine
competition (iGEM) organized at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) – and they gained second place (First Runner Up). They
had already won the European region preliminary round (11–13 October)
with their construction of a microbial fuel cell to generate energy
directly from bacteria. The final World Championship Jamboree was held
from 1–4 November at the MIT in Boston, USA. The Bielefeld team competed
successfully against 80 teams from all over the world. Professor
Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, Rektor of Bielefeld University was openly
delighted at the success of the young researchers. ‘I heartily
congratulate the Bielefeld team for this fantastic result. This very
good achievement underlines the international level of research and
teaching at Bielefeld. And I wish to thank the students for helping to
make Bielefeld University even more visible throughout the world.’[Weiterlesen]

Bielefeld biologists reveal the influence of genes on dispersal behaviour

Be
it hibernation or the routes of migratory birds: all animal behaviour
that is subject to annual rhythms is controlled by a molecular clock.
Although this has been known for a long time, in many cases it is still
unclear how far genes are involved in setting this internal clock. Up to
now, this also applied to the common buzzard and its migration from
parental breeding grounds. Behavioural scientists in Professor Dr.
Oliver Krüger’s team at Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Biology have
now confirmed that a genetic clock determines when young buzzards leave
their parents’ territory. The key to these findings were observations
from the general public who reported tagged birds to the researchers.
The researchers have now published their study in the journal Molecular
Ecology.[Weiterlesen]

Students at Bielefeld University impress the judges with their microbial fuel cell

Last
weekend (11–13 October), Bielefeld University’s iGEM team won the
European region preliminary round of the international iGEM competition.
The jury was so impressed by the microbial fuel cell the team has
developed to generate energy directly from bacteria that they judged
them to be the best team in Europe. ‘We never even dreamed that we would
win,’ says Lukas Rositzka, a member of the team. ‘The surprise was
great and the joy even greater.’ iGEM stands for ‘International
Genetically Engineered Machine competition’ and is the most important
student competition in synthetic biology. It has been held every year
since 2004 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston,
USA.[Weiterlesen]